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What You'd Ask the Candidates at Tonight's Presidential Debate

Tonight at 9 P.M. ET/6 P.M. PT, the Presidential candidates will step onstage at the University of Denver to talk domestic policy. In a race this tight, it likely won't be pretty (expect a few "zingers")—but it may be as important as any debate in electoral history. Both are famously good debate performers, and with the margin between the candidates so slim, every comment will be under the microscope tonight. (Oh, and Tumblr is live GIFing the thing.) Translation: watch.

If you had a chance to stand up in Denver tonight and grab the mic, what would you ask the candidates? I went out to the New York Public Library today and asked young women the same question. Here's what they'd want to know:

Naomi, 23, from New York said she's been uninsured for the past year, "which just can't happen anymore," so health care is at the top of her mind. She'd ask the candidates all about their stances on reproductive issues: whether or not all women should have access to contraception, at what age, and whether parental consent should be required.

Ashley, 18, from New York had a student ID around her neck, so I asked her if jobs and student debt were her biggest issue. She said it was a concern for sure, but tonight she'd ask the candidates about racial profiling in law enforcement, which she cites as problem in her home community.

Lena, 23, from Georgia doesn't identify with either party--she told me she was frustrated with having no choice besides a Republican or a Democratic candidate, especially if neither represented her views. She said she'd ask, "What are your plans for making a solid budget and sticking to it?"

Tonya, 23, from New York's biggest concern was education. She'd ask, "When would we get full financial aid in college, particularly for private colleges?"

Leila, 26, is from New York, but she'll be a first-time voter in New York after living in Switzerland. At the top of her mind while she's voting: jobs. Leila is finishing her master's degree but is still searching for a job, and wants to "get out of the internship system". Tonight, however, she'd turn the focus towards human rights in the US, specifically towards Native American women who are facing "an epidemic of sexual assault and violence" in Native American communities. She'd ask, "What will you do to make sure that the government meets its responsibilities to protect the rights of Native American women?"(Note: One third of Native American women report being sexually assaulted or raped. I didn't know much about the issue about which Leilia was so passionate, but when I read up it moved me—and it'll move you, too. Read more here.)

Brenda, 38, from New York, would ask, "What are you going to do about the job market—and why do you fight so much?"

Vanessa, 34, from New Jersey said she'd ask, "What are your plans to help the economy get more robust, especially the employment situation?" Her number one issue stepping into the voting booth is health care.

Marie, 26, from California, who said she "hasn't been paying attention" to the election, but said she wouldn't take her time with the candidates to ask a question; instead, she'd make a statement to them. "Stop trying to make promises, and make short-term goals," she said. "Big change can't happen in four years."

On my way back to the office, I spoke with a group of Canadian ladies. I figured I'd ask them, too, and they had a great question that I would love to hear the candidates answer: "What do you think defines America?"

Would you ask any of the same questions? And how would you answer that last one?